Recent Posts in Homicide Category

A former insurance claims adjuster who was suspected of terrorizing women in the 1970s as the Westside Rapist has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for seven murders that were committed in two waves of killings and sexual assaults.

John Floyd Thomas was sentenced for the killings that took place in a area stretching from Inglewood to Claremont. Police describe him as one of the California's most prolific serial killers, saying that he is still a suspect in at least 10 to 15 additional murders.

Police said the sexual attacks targeted women who ranged in age from their 50s to their 90s, many of whom lived alone. He broke into their homes at night and raped and choked his victims until they passed out or died. His sentence was part of a plea deal with prosecutors that was described as an act of pragmatism rather than an act of mercy.

She noted that capital punishment was not legal in California when all but one of the killings Thomas admitted to were committed. She said the death penalty would not have been relevant in this case because Thomas would probably die in prison during his appeals, given his age.

Thomas was born in Los Angeles and was raised by an aunt and his godmother after his mother died when he was 12. He attended public schools, and briefly joined the U.S. Air Force in 1956. At Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, he received a dishonorable discharge. The next year, he was convicted of burglary and attempted rape, which put him in prison for nearly almost 10 years. After his release, police noticed a string of assaults on elderly white women. The attacker was dubbed the Westside Rapist at the time.

The attacks appeared to stop in 1978, when Thomas was convicted and sentenced to prison for the rape of a Pasadena woman. After his release in 1983, he moved to Chino, coinciding with a wave of rapes and killings that began in the Pomona Valley area.

The Westside Rapist faded from public memory and authorities made limited progress in the Claremont killings until 2004, when the LAPD matched male DNA taken from two of the crime scenes. The final break in the case came in October 2008, when two officers collected DNA from Thomas while trying to identify the so-called Grim Sleeper serial killer, who was linked to homicides in South Los Angeles starting in the 1980s. Several months later, detectives learned that Thomas' genetic profile matched DNA evidence from four of the killings he admitted in court.

Police will conduct an intensive investigation following a murder or sexual assault. Therefore, if you are criminally charged, you will need a skilled criminal defense attorney from Marks & Brooklier. Criminal defense lawyers  Donald Marks and  Anthony Brooklier have been successfully representing clients for murder and rape charges for decades. They have the experience necessary to provide you with skilled criminal defense in all Los Angeles County Courts. It takes a dedicated legal team to fight a murder or sexual assault charge, and with our firm you can feel condifent that we will provide you with the highest quality criminal defense team. Our Los Angeles criminal defense lawyers are aggressive in the court room and look forward to defending your case. Contact us for a free case consultation.

The bodies of Phong Le, 30, his wife, Ngoc "Trish" Lam, 25, and their son Tommy, were found in separate bedrooms in their Garden Grove home. They had been bound, gagged and stabbed multiple times. The couple's infant daughter, dehydrated but alive , was found next to the body of her mother.

During the trial, Deputy District Attorney Scott Simmons argued that Le had borrowed $80,000 from Quan but never paid it back. That was the motivation for the murders, he said. Quan, who has two prior strike convictions for robbery and assault with a deadly weapon in 1990, was sentenced by Orange County Superior Court Judge William R. Froeberg.

Police will conduct an intensive investigation following a murder. Therefore, if you are charged, you will need a skilled homicide attorney from Marks & Brooklier. Murder criminal defense lawyers Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier have been representing clients for murder charges for decades and have the resources and experience necessary to provide you with skilled criminal defense. It takes a dedicated legal team to fight a murder charge, and with our firm you can feel condifent that we will provide you with the highest quality criminal defense team possible. Our Los Angeles homicide and murder criminal defense lawyers are aggressive in a court room setting and look forward to assisting you with your case. Contact us for a free consultation, 24/7.

Authorities using DNA evidence have linked a 44-year-old convicted murderer and rapist on death row to a 1990 double homicide in Riverside County. Alfredo Rolando Prieto, who is already on California's death row and who recently received the death penalty for a murder in Virginia, was linked to the slayings of Stacey Siegrist, 19, and Anthony Gianuzzi, 21, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said.

On May 5, 1990, a jogger discovered the victims’ bodies along a dirt power line access road west of the intersection of Canal and Alta streets in Rubidoux. The two were dating and had not been seen for nearly two days. Both had been shot once in the side of their heads and once in the back of their necks. Siegrist had also been sexually assaulted.

Earlier this year, Riverside County’s cold case unit submitted evidence from the crime scene to a private laboratory. The lab linked the DNA to Prieto. The department said it delayed notifying the public to ensure Virginia jurists were not influenced during the penalty phase of Prieto’s trial there. Prieto has been linked to nine murders and four sexual assaults, including the 1992 murder and rape of 15-year-old Yvette Woodruff of Ontario, the crimes for which he was sentenced to death. He is appealing his California death sentence.

In 2005, preliminary DNA tests implicated him in three 1988 Virginia slayings. Prosecutors from Fairfax County, Va., extradited Prieto from California to face trial for two of those murders. Prieto has operated with three other accomplices in the past, and authorities believe the Rubidoux murders involved one or two additional suspects.

If you have been arrested or under investigation for murder, it is important that you consult a Los Angeles homicide and murder criminal defense attorney immediately to begin planning of your legal defense. A conviction for murder can result in a lifetime sentence in a California penitentiary or even the death penalty.

Los Angeles Police will conduct an intensive investigation following a murder. If you are criminally charged, you will need an experienced murder criminal defense lawyer from Marks & Brooklier. Attorney's Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier have been successfully representing clients for murder or homicide charges for over four decades. They have the skill necessary to provide you with an exceptional criminal defense. We will conduct our own thorough investigation of the facts and study all evidence obtained against you in order to present a strong defense. Our Los Angeles homicide criminal defense lawyers are aggressive and are well-versed in a court room setting and look forward to assisting you with your case. Contact us for a free consultation, 24/7.

Michael Dean Stephens, a 21-year-old, was convicted of murder in the 2007 Stevenson Ranch death of Joshua Pipho. Stephens was found guilty on one count of second-degree murder; however, the jury was unable to come to a decision on an attempted murder charge involving a second victim who was stabbed more than a dozen times but survived.

After the jury announced that it was deadlocked on the second charge, Judge Daniel Feldstern declared a mistrial. A decision on whether to retry the attempted murder count is expected to be announced later.

Pipho was among a group of young men who got into a fight with another group at a condominium complex on Nov. 24, 2007. The dispute got out of hand, as about 10 to 15 people were involved in the melee, which culminated with Pipho's killing. The Deputy District Attorney argued in court that Pipho, was stabbed and then run over by a car driven by Stephens. His sentencing is scheduled at North Valley Superior Court. He faces up to 17 years to life in prison.

Law Enforcement will conduct an intensive investigation following a murder. Therefore, if you are eventually charged, you will need an experienced homicide attorney from Marks & Brooklier. Criminal defense lawyers Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier have been representing clients for murder charges for over four decades and have the resources and experience necessary to provide you with skilled criminal defense. It takes a dedicated legal team to fight a homicider charge, and with our firm you can feel condifent that we will provide you with the highest quality criminal defense team possible. Our Los Angeles homicide and murder criminal defense attorneys are aggressive and are well-versed in a court room setting and look forward to assisting you with your case. Contact us for a free consultation, 24/7.

A Rowland Heights, California woman was found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder in the 2007 deaths of her husband and two young sons in the family's townhouse. Manling Tsang Williams, could face the death penalty because the Pomona jury also found her guilty of the special circumstances of multiple murders and lying in wait.

On Aug. 7, 2007, Williams called police to report that she had come home from grocery shopping at 7:30 a.m. and found her husband and her children dead. At the time, neighbors said that Williams ran from her house screaming that her husband had been injured. When Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies arrived and searched the house, they found the bodies of Neal Williams, 27; Devon Williams, 7; and Ian Williams, 3. Prosecutors say Williams stabbed her husband to death with a sword and smothered their two sons, who were in their bunk beds in an upstairs bedroom, with a pillow. Manling Williams was arrested for the murders on Aug. 8.

A medical examiner testified during the trial that Neal Williams had been slashed and stabbed more than 90 times with a Samurai sword. The jury returned its verdict one day after closing arguments and final instructions. Testimony in the penalty phase now begins,  during which the same jury will have to decide between the penalty of death or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Police will conduct an intensive and thorough investigation following a murder. Therefore, if you are eventually charged, you will need a skilled homicide lawyer from Marks & Brooklier. Criminal attorneys Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier have been representing clients for homicide charges for three decades. It takes a dedicated legal team to fight a murder charge, and with our firm you can feel confident that we will provide you with the highest quality criminal defense team possible. We will conduct our own investigation of the evidence in order to present a strong defense. Our Los Angeles murder criminal defense attorneys are aggressive and well-versed in a court room setting and look forward to assisting you with your case. Contact us for a free consultation, 24/7.

In Santa Ana, California, jurors will begin deliberations in the re-trial of a Washington man accused in the cold-case murder of his estranged wife. William Gregory Mordick, 64, maintains he is innocent of the Jan. 22, 1983, slaying of Katherine O'Connell Mordick, a 28-year-old mother of two young girls. Katherine's body was found partially nude inside her Anaheim Hills home. Her throat had been slashed. There was no evidence of sexual assault and nothing was stolen from the home.

Authorities charged Mordick, who eventually moved with the couple's two daughters to Washington, with the crime in 2008. They said DNA technology not available in 1983 linked him to physical evidence at the crime scene. Deputy District Attorney Dan Wagner accuses Mordick of killing his wife that morning when he dropped by to pick up his daughters, ages 2 and 4 at the time, to bring them to a birthday party.

Mordick, who is charged with special circumstances murder for financial gain, was worried about paying approximately $124,000 in child support over a span of 16 years, Wagner said. By killing Katherine, Mordick could avoid the payments and gain full custody of his girls, he said. Forensic evidence – specifically blood found in several areas the home – links Mordick to the killing, Wagner said. He also accused Mordick of staging the crime scene, such as taking off his wife's clothing to make it appear she was sexually assaulted.

Mordick, who testified in his own defense, said he didn't kill his wife. He said Katherine was alive that morning when he picked up their children. Katherine's body was found the next day, when her brother and boyfriend came to the home, worried because Katherine wouldn't pick up her phone.

His defense attorney said his client is innocent, and that some of the forensic evidence was tainted or inconclusive. He pointed out that a deputy coroner's estimate of Katherine's time of death was in the afternoon, and Mordick last saw his wife that morning. Mordick was first tried for Katherine's murder last year. That first jury deadlocked 6-6.

Jurors in the re-trial, which is being held in the courtroom of Orange County Superior Court John D. Conley, heard closing arguments and were read jury instructions. The panel is tasked with deciding if Mordick is guilty of first-degree murder, meaning a killing made willfully, deliberately or with premeditation, or second-degree murder, a non-premeditated killing. If they convict him of first-degree murder, they also have to decide on the truth of the special circumstance of financial gain. Mordick's maximum penalty would be life in prison without the possibility of parole.

If you have been accused or charged with homicide, it is important that you obtain a highly qualified Los Angeles homicide criminal defense lawyer immediately to begin planning of your defense. A conviction for murder can result in a lifetime sentence in a California penitentiary or even the death penalty.

Los Angeles Police will conduct an intensive and thorough investigation following a murder. Therefore, if you are charged, you will need an experienced homicide attorney from Marks & Brooklier. Attorney's Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier have been representing clients for murder charges for three decades and have the experience necessary to provide you with an exceptional criminal defense. It takes a dedicated legal team to fight a homicide charge, and with our firm you can feel condifent that we will provide you with the highest quality criminal defense team possible. Our Los Angeles murder criminal defense attorneys are aggressive and are well-versed in a court room setting and look forward to assisting you with your case. Contact us for a free consultation, 24/7.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation to put some sex offenders in prison for life at a bittersweet ceremony for family and friends of a 17-year-girl who was killed after being abducted while running less than seven months ago.

Chelsea's Law is named for Chelsea King, who was murdered by 31-year-old convicted child molester John Gardner. He was sentenced to life in prison fter pleading guilty to murdering Chelsea and 14-year-old Amber Dubois. "Because of Chelsea, California's children will be safer. Because of Chelsea, this never has to happen again," said Schwarzenegger, an early backer of the legislation.

The ceremony began under a light drizzle then gave way to sunshine at an outdoor theater in Balboa Park, where Chelsea played French horn for the San Diego Youth Symphony. Many of the 200 people in the audience carried sunflowers, her favorite flower.

Brent and Kelly King, who traveled from their new home in suburban Chicago, thanked lawmakers for speeding the bill through the Legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support. Brent King said he was initially skeptical about the bill's prospects and had been preparing to sponsor a ballot initiative. Kelly King said the lawmakers were an example for young people.

The Kings, in an interview, said they plan to promote similar legislation in other states and have tentatively targeted Texas, Florida, Colorado and Ohio, the scenes of high-profile child abductions. They have not settled on a timetable.

The Kings have not been considering their new home state of Illinois for legislation because they want to shield their 14-year-old son Tyler from the spotlight. The avid baseball player has recently shown renewed interest in the game.

The Kings plan to use their nonprofit foundation, Chelsea's Light, to promote peer counseling programs  and to offer scholarships for college and other programs.

Chelsea's Law allows life without parole sentences for adult predators who kidnap, drug, bind, torture or use a weapon while committing a sex crime against a child. Life terms could be ordered for first-time and repeat offenders.

It also increases other penalties for child molesters, including requiring lifetime parole with GPS tracking for people convicted of forcible sex crimes against children under 14. Previous law permitted lifetime GPS monitoring, but most tracking ended when offenders leave parole.

Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, the San Diego Republican who spearheaded the Chelsea's Law legislation, said in an interview it would have resulted in a longer prison sentence, possibly life, and longer parole for Gardner in 2000 for molesting a 13-year-old neighbor. Gardner served five years of a six-year sentence and repeatedly violated parole. Supporters came to the ceremony wearing T-shirts with one of Chelsea's favorite quotations, "They can because they think they can," from the Roman poet Virgil.

If you have been arrested with a sex crime, you will need to consult a Los Angeles sex crime criminal defense lawyer who has the special knowledge of this area of the law. Attorneys Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier are qualified Los Angeles and Beverly Hills sex crimes criminal attorneys to defend you. You will need the over 33 years of experience that our law firm can provide you with. Contact us for a free consultation, 24/7, strictly confidential.

Two Latino gang members were convicted of first-degree murder in a hate-crime trial involving the deaths of a 14-year-old black girl and a potential witness in the Harbor Gateway area of Los Angeles. The jury deliberated for less than two days before convicting Jonathan Fajardo and Daniel Aguilar, members of the 204th Street gang, of all charges. Fajardo was found guilty of killing Cheryl Green, whose slaying the jury found was a hate crime motivated by her race. Both men were convicted of participating in the murder of 21-year-old Christopher Ash, who prosecutors say was a fellow gang member suspected by the rest of the gang of talking to police about Green's killing.

Fajardo and Aguilar showed no emotion, staring blankly ahead, as their families wept in the audience. The penalty phase for Fajardo, in which the jury will decide whether he should receive the death penalty, is next. Aguilar, who faces life in prison without the possibility of parole, is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 27.

Green was shot in December 2006 as she stood with friends in a driveway in broad daylight. Prosecutors alleged at the trial that Fajardo was agitated from an earlier confrontation with a black man when he fired into the crowd of black youngsters. Three others were wounded in that shooting. Fajardo was convicted of seven counts of attempted murder for firing at the others in the crowd.

Ash's death came two weeks later. His body, stabbed more than 60 times and enveloped in a blood-soaked blanket, was dumped on a roadside in Carson, California. The gang suspected him because police served a search warrant on his apartment but released him the same day. At the trial, a fellow 204th Street gang member testified in graphic detail about Ash's killing in exchange for a lighter sentence. In his testimony, Jose Covarrubias recounted how Fajardo hit Ash in the head with the butt of a shotgun, causing him to stumble, after which other gang members beat and stabbed him. Aguilar, Ash's best friend, was assigned to lure him to the garage, and later kicked him in the legs after he appeared dead, Covarrubias testified.

Two other gang members, Robert Gonzales and Raul Silva, are expected to stand trial later this year in Ash's slaying. Another man, Ernesto Alcarez, is charged in Green's murder and is awaiting trial for allegedly acting as Fajardo's lookout. In the two-week trial, Fajardo's attorney disputed that Green's killing, which Fajardo admitted to in police interviews, was motivated by race, calling it an "accident that rose of fear and anger" and a "rash impulse." The defense attorney also maintained that Fajardo did not know Ash would be killed. Aguilar's attorney, told jurors that other gang members kept his client in the dark about their plans to stab Ash to death because Aguilar was Ash's friend.

Green's death sparked furor in the community and outrage from authorities and politicians about long-standing gang violence and black-Latino tensions in the neighborhood, a narrow stretch of Los Angeles between Torrance and Carson where graffiti with racial epithets were an everyday occurrence. The girl's death was but one of a number of slayings in the area that police believe were racially motivated. The slayings date as far back as 1997.

If you have been arrested or under investigation for murder, it is crucial that you obtain a Los Angeles murder criminal defense lawyer immediately to begin planning of your legal defense. A conviction for murder can result in a lifetime sentence in a California penitentiary or even the death penalty.

Los Angeles Police will conduct an intensive investigation following a murder. Therefore, if you are charged, you will need an experienced murder criminal defense lawyer from Marks & Brooklier. Attorney's Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier have been representing clients for murder charges since 1976 and have the skill necessary to provide you with an exceptional criminal defense. We will conduct our own thorough investigation of the facts and study all evidence obtained against you in order to present a strong defense. Our Los Angeles homicide criminal defense attorneys are aggressive and are well-versed in a court room setting and look forward to assisting you with your case. Contact us for a free consultation, 24/7.

The Los Angeles County sheriff has escalated his war of words against California medical marijuana dispensaries, saying as many as 97 percent operate as criminal enterprises.

Some of the pot shops get marijuana from Mexican drug cartels, and most dole out pot to people with no medical need for it, Sheriff Lee Baca said.

"Millions of dollars are being made for profit, and it's all illegal," the sheriff said.

Baca presented no evidence to support his claim. His comments coincided with a recent announcement that he would lead efforts against a November ballot measure to legalize marijuana for personal use in California. Critics said his claims about the dispensaries were politically motivated and untrue.

"When they run out of scare tactics, they come out with stuff like this," said Michael Backes, a board member of the Cornerstone Research Collective, which provides marijuana to patients in the Eagle Rock area of Los Angeles.

Backes stressed there was no need to buy pot from Mexican cartels because more than enough quality marijuana is legally grown in California to supply the dispensaries.

A Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman, who works in the San Francisco office, said it was difficult to substantiate or refute Baca's claims because of challenges in determining where pot found in dispensaries was produced.

Baca, however, said chemical analyses of pot confiscated during drug raids against street dealers showed similar pesticide content and other characteristics as marijuana sold in dispensaries.

Allegations of criminal activity involving pot shops increased after a string of deaths, including the slaying of three men in West Hollywood, California who police suspect had been buying up bulk quantities of high-grade marijuana from dispensaries and reselling it on the street.

The suspect in that case confessed to killing the men when he didn't have enough cash to complete a transaction. In addition, two workers at different marijuana dispensaries have been killed during robberies in recent weeks.

"It is no surprise that people are going to get killed, drugs and violence go together," Baca said. Despite his concerns about the way dispensaries operate, Baca has been a longtime advocate of medical marijuana use by AIDS patients and people with other chronic conditions.

The 1996 law approved by California voters allows collectives to grow medicinal marijuana, though they are not supposed to make profits and can only charge enough to cover operating expenses.

Baca said the intent of the law was good but had been corrupted almost beyond recognition with most "patients" producing spurious notes from doctors describing vague ailments that don't need to be treated with marijuana.

Thirteen other states have legalized medical marijuana, and many jurisdictions around the country have decriminalized marijuana to the point that low-level possession offenses aren't prosecuted.

At Marks & Brooklier, criminal lawyers Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier have been representing clients on medical marijuana and other drug related matters since 1976. When faced with medical marijuana charges you need experienced Los Angeles medical marijuana criminal defense lawyers with experience in representing individuals for California marijuana drug crimes. If you have been charged with a medical marijuana drug crime, we recommend you contact us in order to begin to prepare your case for a successful defense.

Long Beach police made eight arrests in connection with at least 12 gang-related shootings, two of them homicides.

Through witness descriptions and surveillance footage, authorities were able to identify Ruhani Bustamante, a 28-year-old Latino, as the main suspect in connection with the October 2009 death of Esaul Villagrana and the January 2010 death of Jonathan Cordova.

On May 20, search warrants were served and Bustamante, a Long Beach resident and known member of the East Side Longo street gang, was arrested.

He has since been charged with two counts of murder, six counts of attempted murder, three counts of discharging a firearm and one count of possession of narcotics by a felon, according to the felony complaint provided by the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.

One of the fatal shootings he is alleged to have committed occurred last year on Oct. 26. Esaul Villagrana, identified by the coroner as a 23-year-old white man, was driving near 20th Street and Cedar Avenue when he stopped his car and exited. Police allege that Bustamante shot Villagrana as he got out of the vehicle.

Villagrana was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:10 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

On Jan. 30, Jonathan Cordova, an 18-year-old Latino, was standing at East 15th Street and Stanley Avenue when Bustamante allegedly approached him, pulled out a gun, and opened fire.

Long Beach police said an 18-year-old man was injured in the incident, but his injuries were not life-threatening. Cordova was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:49 p.m., according to coroner's records.

Bustamante is currently being held at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic.

His next court appearance is scheduled for June 9 at the Long Beach Superior Court.

If you have been accused or charged with homicide, it is important that you obtain a highly qualified Los Angeles homicide criminal attorney immediately to begin planning of your criminal defense. A conviction for murder can result in a lifetime sentence in a California penitentiary or even the death penalty.

Los Angeles Police will conduct an intensive and thorough investigation following a murder. Therefore, if you are charged, you will need an experienced homicide attorney from Marks & Brooklier. Attorney's Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier have been representing clients for murder charges since 1976 and have the experience necessary to provide you with an exceptional criminal defense. It takes a dedicated legal team to fight a homicide charge, and with our firm you can feel condifent that we will provide you with the highest quality criminal defense team possible. We will conduct our own thorough investigation of the facts and study all evidence obtained against you in order to present a strong defense. Our Los Angeles Murder criminal lawyers are aggressive and are well-versed in a court room setting and look forward to assisting you with your case. Contact us for a free consultation, 24/7.

Charles Ray Smith, 41, was convicted in the shooting deaths of three people, including a 10-year-old boy, in South L.A. in 2006. He was armed with an AK-47 assault rifle.

An alleged gang member was convicted of murdering three people, including a 10-year-old boy, on a quiet South L.A. street in an attack that became known as the 49th Street Massacre.

The defendant repeatedly shook his head as the verdicts were read in a packed downtown Los Angeles courtroom. In the audience behind him, the mother of the 10-year-old victim wept quietly.

David Marcial had been riding his bicycle with his 12-year-old brother outside their South Los Angeles home on a warm June afternoon in 2006 when two gunmen opened fire. Among those killed in the attack were David, his uncle, Larry Marcial, 22, and a neighbor of the Marcial family, Luis Cervantes, 17. David's brother was shot but survived.

The slayings shocked the city and were part of a series of high-profile interracial gang crimes that stoked fears of a possible race war. The gunmen were described as black; the victims were Latino. Police said the dead were not connected to gangs but that they suspected the attackers were.

But prosecutors argued during the trial that race had little to do with the killings. They said the gunmen, armed with AK-47 assault rifles, mistook the victims as rival gang members in a bloody feud between two local gangs.

Jurors deadlocked in a trial on the charges last year. This time, a new jury deliberated about two weeks before finding Smith guilty of murder and attempted murder in the attack. The panel also found him guilty of fatally shooting a construction worker three months before the 49th Street killings. The jury now must decide whether Smith should receive the death penalty.

Jurors deadlocked 10-2 in favor of convicting Ryan T. Moore, 36, who prosecutors said was the second gunman in the 49th Street shooting. Superior Court Judge David S. Wesley declared a mistrial in Moore's case. Deputy Dist. Atty. Bobby Grace said his office had yet to decide whether to seek a third trial of Moore.

The prosecution's case against both defendants revolved around a key witness, Alicia Merceron, who admitted driving the car in the two killings. She identified Smith as a gunman in both shootings and testified that Moore was the second shooter in the 49th Street killings.

If you have been accused or charged with murder, it is important that you obtain a highly qualified Los Angeles murder criminal attorney immediately to begin planning of your defense. A conviction for homicide can result in a lifetime sentence in a California penitentiary or even the death penalty.

Los Angeles Police will conduct an intensive and thorough investigation following a murder. Therefore, if you are eventually charged, you will need an experienced homicide attorney from Marks & Brooklier. Attorney's Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier have been representing clients for homicide charges since 1976 and have the resources and experience necessary to provide you with an exceptional criminal defense. It takes a dedicated legal team to fight a murder charge, and with our firm you can feel condifent that we will provide you with the highest quality criminal defense team possible. We will conduct our own thorough investigation of the facts and study all evidence obtained against you in order to present a strong defense. Our Los Angeles Murder criminal lawyers are aggressive and are well-versed in a court room setting and look forward to assisting you with your case. Contact us for a free consultation, 24/7.

Inglewood, California police announced the arrest of a suspect in a 15-year-old homicide, marking the first successful investigation for the department's new cold-case unit.

Donald Bridgewater, 58, was booked on suspicion of murder in the Oct. 28, 1995, slaying of William Goins at his home in the 10600 block of 2nd Avenue. Goins had stab wounds in his head and neck. There was evidence of a struggle. At the time, Bridgewater was one of several suspects in the killing, but police were unable to link him to the case.

The case went unsolved. But in March 2008, the Inglewood Police Department formed a Cold Case Unit to review and investigate 472 unsolved murders in the city since 1971. The unit includes three retired police homicide detectives working under the department's homicide unit.

Investigators reopened the Goins case and submitted physical evidence from the crime scene to the Orange County Crime Lab for DNA analysis. Bridgewater is being held in lieu of $1 million bail.

If you have been accused or charged with Homicide it is important that you obtain a highly qualified Los Angeles Homicide criminal defense attorney immediately to begin the planning of your criminal defense. A conviction for homicide can result in a lifetime sentence in a penitentiary or even the death penalty.

Law Enforcement will conduct an intensive and thorough investigation following a homicide. Therefore, if you are eventually charged, you will need an experienced Homicide attorney from Marks & Brooklier. Our firm has been representing clients for homicide charges since 1976 and have the resources and experience necessary to provide you with an exceptional criminal defense. It takes a dedicated legal team to fight a murder charge, and with our firm you can feel condifent that we will provide you with the highest quality criminal defense team possible. We will conduct our own thorough investigation of the facts and study all evidence obtained against you in order to present a strong defense. Our Los Angeles Murder criminal lawyers are aggressive and are well-versed in a court room setting and look forward to assisting you with your case. Contact us for a free consultation, 24/7.